


A Map Of The World

by Kahtya Sofia (KahtyaSofia)



Category: Generation Kill
Genre: DADT Repeal, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-23
Updated: 2010-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-13 23:56:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/143086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KahtyaSofia/pseuds/Kahtya%20Sofia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A quiet reunion and melancholy discussion on the day of the Senate vote to repeal DADT.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Map Of The World

**Author's Note:**

> As happy as I am that DADT has been repealed, I don't think we're completely out of the woods, yet. Still, it's a victory of sorts that's worth celebrating.

Hanging on the wall of Nate’s office, behind his desk, is a map of the world.

Most visitors notice it, because it’s plain. It’s a functional map, not a decorative one. It has no frame, but is simply mounted on a thick piece of foam board.

Into the map, Nate has pushed a number of pins. The pins all have fat, round heads of brightly colored plastic. Some are yellow, some are red, others are orange, green or black.

There is one pin, and only one pin, that is blue. One pin that is the same bright blue as Brad’s eyes.

The colored pins are clustered in various locations on the map. The colors represent different things. Represented on the map are battalions, companies, platoons and individuals. Nate’s never written down the legend. Most visitors assume he’s tracking violent hotspots or strategic deployments. No one needs to know he’s only keeping track of the units he’s served with, friends and loved ones.

The map is for Nate. It is not for CNAS.

The blue pin gets noticed the most, conspicuous in its singularity. Because it most frequently rests in Oceanside, Nate can easily explain it away as marking the base where he had been stationed during the most significant years of his life.

When the blue pin spent two years pinned to the United Kingdom, he’d claimed it was there to signify their closest ally. It wasn’t even a complete lie.

The blue pin had found its way back and forth from Oceanside to Virginia quite a number of times, and no one had yet made the connection. The blue pin had been stuck in both Iraq and Afghanistan a few times, yet Nate’s increased stress level had gone unremarked about.

Rain poured heavily and unrelenting down the windows of Nate’s office. It was a miserable day for something so momentous to have taken place. He reached out and pulled the blue pin from its current home in Oceanside, and placed it once again in Virginia. Nate never moved the pin to D.C. because that was where he worked. When the blue pin came east, he placed it at _home_.

He didn’t usually tempt fate and secure the pin in its new location until he had confirmation. Nate just couldn’t help but feel upbeat, buoyant, even. The Senate had voted to repeal DADT today. The President had vowed, exactly one year before, to achieve that very thing. He’d made it a speaking point in his State of the Union address a month later. There was no doubt at all he was going to sign it later that week.

The implications of the repeal on Nate’s life were staggering when he stopped to think about it.

He pressed the blue pin into its place in Virginia.

“I thought you didn’t do that until you knew for sure I’ve arrived safely,” a voice sounded from behind him.

Nate’s pulse quickened, like it always did. He turned and saw Brad standing in the door to the office, soaking wet, and carrying a single bag.

“I don’t usually, but I feel very optimistic today.” Nate turned and leaned backward against the credenza that sat beneath the map. He always took a great deal of pleasure in just looking at Brad, and his physical response was still very strong.

Brad came into Nate’s office, set his bag just inside the door, then crossed the room. Nate was disappointed that Brad stopped short of touching him. Instead, he leaned back against Nate’s desk. For several long moments, they simply looked at one another.

Brad seemed to want to draw out their reunion, so he decided to play along. “I was afraid the rain was going to keep you from getting here,” Nate finally said.

Brad snorted. “We don’t get that much time together. I was getting on a flight out here if I had to drive to John Wayne, Ontario, Long Beach, or even fucking L.A.X.”

“And where _did_ you fly out of?” Nate asked with a smile, appreciating Brad’s single minded determination.

“It was raining like a motherfucker in San Diego, but not enough to ground the flights.”

“For which I am grateful.” he was always ready for circumstances to thwart the plans they made. But sometimes, like today, Nate misses Brad more acutely than usual.

“Do we have plans for this evening?” Brad’s eyes held a familiar heat. Nate felt an answer tug low in his gut.

“At first, I thought we’d get reacquainted in our usual manner.” he watched one side of Brad’s mouth lift in a mischievous smile as the heat in his eyes intensified. “Now, I think we might want to celebrate in public.”

“Why would we want to do that?”

“Because we can.”

Brad grew serious and Nate’s heart sank. As thrilled as he was at the repeal of DADT, he knew the fight wasn’t quite over. Brad was way too fucking smart not to have figured it all out, as well.

“It may not be that easy, Nate.”

“Yeah, I know,” he admitted reluctantly, wishing he could hang on to his earlier euphoria, just for the night.

“There may no longer be an overt ban against gays and lesbians serving in the military, but the Uniform Code of Military Justice hasn’t been amended.”

“I know, I know.”

“They’re going to use the ban on sodomy to keep coming after us.”

“I’m aware of that. Being gay automatically means you perform sodomy, which is in violation of the UCMJ, so gays have to be drummed out of the military.”

“Because the breeders _never_ perform sodomy, do they? Not a single one of them.” Brad’s sarcasm was sharp enough to cut.

“That’s where the lawyers have a foothold, though. Short of spying on our bedrooms, it’s fuckin’ impossible to prove that kind of behavior.”

Brad’s laugh held no humor. “I don’t put the spying part past _anyone_.”

Nate shivered. “Can’t you just see Palin running on that platform? ‘Joe Six-pack demands cameras in the bedrooms of all military personnel. It’s the right of every American to know the character of those willing to die to protect them’.”

“You do realize the thought of Sarah Palin watching the video of me sucking your dick, _really_ kills the mood for me, right?”

Nate couldn’t help but smile. “Roger that.”

“I get what you’re saying, though. It can’t be enforced fairly, which makes it prejudicial, and should, therefore, be removed from the code. It’s just gonna take the lawyers a few years to get it worked out.”

“It’s a step, though, don’t you think? A step in the right direction?” Nate needed to savor the victory, even if only for the night.

Brad held out a hand. “Yeah, it’s a start. At least it’s not quite so easy to get rid of us, now.”

Nate took Brad’s hand and let himself be pulled into an embrace. Brad’s jacket was wet and cold, and rain still clung to his short cropped hair. Inside his jacket, however, Brad’s body was warm to the point of hot. Nate pressed himself close, savoring the feel of hard muscle. He inhaled deeply, feeling his cock stir as Brad’s scent enveloped him.

“Fuck it,” Nate breathed into Brad’s neck. “Fuck the public celebration. We’re going straight home. For the night.”

Brad chuckled. “I like your strategic planning.”

Nate pulled back and began to close down his office for the night.

“Now that there’s less need for secrecy, are you going to start telling people what the blue pin is for?” Brad asked, retrieving his bag on the way out the door.

“Actually, I’m going to glue a big picture of your face to it, so no one will have to ask.”

Brad sighed dramatically. “I hope you’re kidding, Nate. I’d hate to have to kill you, now that I’m finally allowed to be seen in public with you.”


End file.
